Given we now have access to massive interactive 'wiki' pages and step-by-step walkthrough videos, there's little need for the traditional FAQ guide these days – but, once upon a time, these crudely formatted guides were an absolute godsend, especially when dealing with Japanese games that lacked English text.
As a result, some of these FAQs have risen to almost legendary status over the years, and that certainly seems to have been the case with SuperDeadite's guide for the Japan-only Sega Saturn exclusive Bulk Slash.
Developed by CAProduction and published by Hudson Soft, Bulk Slash is one of the console's true cult classics; it boasts dazzling visuals and is packed with action, making it a solid choice for importers back in the day.
However, the lack of an English localisation has always hampered those players who wish to dig deep into the game's mechanics – specifically its Manageable Intelligent Support System (M.I.S.S.).
On each of the game's seven stages, there's a female navigator who can be rescued; once you've done this, you can have them join you for the battle, where they offer vocal guidance on what to do next – they even level up the longer you use them. This apparently changes the game's ending, as there's a dating sim-style mechanic in play.
However, this aspect of the game has seemingly been subject to misinformation over the years, as SuperDeadite's aforementioned guide – penned in 2006 – says the following:
Finally, each of the 7 Navigators has their own secret bonus abilities that strengthen your own. I'll let you figure out these yourself since experimenting with the Navigators is what makes this game fun.
Time Extension contributor and gaming historian John Szczepaniak, writing back in 2017, referenced the FAQ, expressing doubts about its accuracy:
According to an online guide, each navigator provides some kind of ability bonus. Having tested six of the seven however, none of them seemed to do anything special.
Twitter user kalyoshika has commented on this rather odd situation; surely the entire point of an FAQ is to provide the user with information, not to withhold it? Seeing as the guide is the only one available for Bulk Slash on GameFAQs, anyone looking to get into the game is highly likely to be presented with it when asking Google for help.
"Everyone who plays Bulk Slash, an amazing game for the Sega Saturn, eventually discovers they're at the mercy of this one GameFAQ's guide from almost 20 years ago that says the navigators have special abilities and refused to elaborate," comments kalyoshika.
Do you think the female navigators actually have special abilities? Or has this FAQ duped us all of these years? Let us know your thoughts by posting a comment.
While we're on the topic, Bulk Slash now has a full English translation, thanks to fans.